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Tame Impala Frontman Improvised SNL Performance Due to Unfinished Song
17 Oct
Summary
- Tame Impala's Kevin Parker ad-libbed lyrics during 2019 SNL performance
- Parker was up until 6 AM trying to record the song "Borderline" but didn't finish it
- Parker sang "gibberish" instead of the actual lyrics during the live show

In October 2025, it was revealed that Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker improvised his way through the band's 2019 Saturday Night Live performance. At the time, Parker had been up until 6 o'clock in the morning trying to record the song "Borderline," but he just didn't finish the lyrics. As a result, Parker ended up singing "gibberish" instead of the actual lyrics during Tame Impala's live SNL debut.
Parker admitted that he didn't have the lyrics ready for the song they played on SNL, where they served as musical guests opposite host Sandra Oh. The singer and multi-instrumentalist explained that he was so preoccupied with the song and the album that he didn't care, simply deciding to "sing whatever." Despite the last-minute scramble, Parker said the SNL performance ultimately "turned out just fine."
While Tame Impala had been required to submit their lyrics ahead of the show, Parker's tour manager later told him that she had nothing to provide, as she had to "write something out" instead. The crew even noticed the discrepancy between what Parker was supposed to sing and what came out of his mouth during the dress rehearsal.